Reviews

Is there a more under-rated grape variety than Chenin Blanc? We give the wines of its birthplace, the centre of the Loire valley, very little attention. And the spiritual home it found last century, South Africa, did much to lower Chenin’s reputation by sacrificing quality and instead shipping out copious bottles of characterless wine. Even if we haven’t quite seen … Read More

People listen to wineontrial. I’ve seen evidence of this before, and just after I’d bemoaned the lack of Loire reds available in the UK (see review of Waitrose’s ‘Les Nivieres Saumur’ in February 2014), Aldi provide this offering. And at a price of £5.99, a punt just had to be taken. A direct comparison between Waitrose’s Saumur and Aldi’s … Read More

Champagne is not the only region in France to make sparkling wine. But you could be forgiven for thinking it is, given the lack of other French regions’ bubbly on sale in the UK. Then again, great value is often found when a style is forced to sit in the shadow of a much more famous cousin… ‘Cremant’ is a … Read More

The name means ‘Crazy Bull’ and well, you would have to be crazy to believe that a £3.79 wine could be any good. Wouldn’t you? If there is any region of Spain that could produce a credible red wine at this price, it’s going to be the area around Valencia. Last year’s review of Las Falleras talked about that region’s … Read More

Another brave move by Aldi. How many people buy a wine when the words on the label mean absolutely nothing to them? Well, they’ll often be missing out, and I guess Aldi hope they might realise that. Costieres de Nimes is a small region to the South-West of the Rhone region. There’s a debate to be had about whether it’s … Read More

You could be forgiven for forgetting that Sauvignon Blanc isn’t the only grape variety grown in New Zealand. Walk into any supermarket, or even off licence, and you’re virtually guaranteed a choice of brands, if New Zealand Sauvignon is what you had in mind. Shame that we don’t get more regular offerings of the very reputable reds of the Hawke’s … Read More

The Campania region of Italy should have a place in the hearts of all wine lovers who cherish variety. When the Italian government was encouraging growers throughout the country to plant the easy-sell Sangiovese and Montepulciano, pushing many local varieties to the brink of extinction, a small number of plucky winemakers decided to buck the trend. And thanks to those … Read More

Argentine Malbec is not without an army of fans. The Argentinians took this grape, native to the area around Cahors, near Bordeaux, and left the winemakers of Cahors wondering how to match their standards. The opulence, richness and charm of well made Malbecs leave me puzzled about just one thing. Why isn’t the army of fans even bigger? Enough time … Read More

This title is a real mouthful. But anyone who knows the region of Burgundy will know that the wine itself isn’t likely to be such a substantial mouthful. Beaune and the surrounding villages is one of several parts of Burgundy renowned for Pinot Noir wines. The ‘Hautes Côtes’ translates roughly as ‘higher slopes’, and that is to be taken literally. … Read More

The Venturer Series is an intriguing move from Aldi. At the time of writing, it’s just five wines strong, but they’re generally from grapes and/or regions that tend to sit off the radar of the casual wine drinker. And yet, they’re all priced at just £4.99. So what is the target market? I can only assume it’s the adventurous wine … Read More